Stuffing box



May 1 1, 1937.

E. L. FLEMING STUFFING BOX Filed March 29, 1935 Patented May 11, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE" STUFFING BOX Eli L. Fleming, Long Beach, Calif.

Application March 29, 1935, Serial No. 13,643

Claims.

This invention relates to a stuffing box particularly applicable to pumping oil wells, and more particularly that stuiiing box at the top of the tubing and thru which the polish rod extends.

My stuffing box may, however, be applied to shafts and rods of diierent characters.

An object of my invention is to provide a stuing box in which a pair of spaced packings are provided, these packings being independently adjustable and being capable of being used separately or in conjunction.

Another object is to provide a novel means of maintaining a lubricating chamber filled with oil, the lubricating chamber being so arranged as `to lubricate both sets of packing.

A feature of my invention is that the upper packing-which is the one usually used-may be repacked while the well is in operation.

Another object is to provide a stuffing box which is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and effective in operation.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention may appear from the accompanying drawing, the subjoined detailed description, and the appended claims.

In the drawing a Figure 1 is a side elevation of my stuiiing box.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral I indicates a tube which is threaded on the outside and screws into the usual pipe fitting 2 mounted on top of the well tubing 3. The polish rod 4 extends thru the stuiiing box and thru the tube I and is connected to the sucker rods which extend downwardly in the well. A nut 5 on the tube I permits this tube to be screwed into the fitting 2.

A cup 6 screws onto the tube I and the upper end of this cup is enlarged and counter-bored to provide a lubricating chamber 1. The lubricating chamber may be filled with wicking 8, if desired. A head 9 screws on to the cup E and forms the upper closure of the lubricating chamber l. A conduit I0 screws into the head 9 and extends downwardly into the tube I and closely fits the wall of the tube. The conduit is tightly screwed into the head so that it will rotate with the head and cup, for a purpose to be further described.

An annular packing I I is positioned within the tube I adjacent the bottom thereof and the conduit l0 acts as a follower and presses against 55 the top of the packing for the purpose of expanding said packing against the polish rod or shaft. The packing II is an emergency packing, and in oil well practice, is not ordinarily used.

An upper packing I2 rests on top of the conduit IE! within the head 9. The packing I2 is forced inwardly against the polish rod by the follower I3. The follower is pressed downwardly by the cap I4 which screws onto the head 9. In oil well practice, the packing I2 is the one which is normally used. When this packing becomes worn, the lock nut I5 is loosened, whereupon the cup 1 and the head 9 are screwed downwardly on the tube I. The conduit Ill then presses the packing I I which packs off around the polish rod. The cap I4 can then be removed and the packing I2 replaced, even with the well in operation.

In wells which pump intermittently, the packings II and I2 will run dry and will therefore cut rapidly. I have, therefore, provided the 1ubricating chamber 1 which lubricates both the packings II, I2 thru the ports I6 in the conduit IS. The lubricating chamber will be automatically filled with oil while the well is pumping because the polish rod will carry oil upwardly on the outer surface thereof, this oil being forced out thru the ports I5, and keeping the lubricating chamber filled. If the polish rod is dry, the oil will flow back thru the ports I6 onto the polish rod, and its reciprocation will then carry this oil onto the packings II, I2.

Having described my invention, I claim:

l. A stufiing box, comprising an exterior threaded tube, a cup screwed onto the tube, a head mounted on the cup, packing in the tube, means depending from the head and engaging the packing whereby said packing is compressed, a second packing in the head, means to compress said second packing, said cup having a lubricating chamber therein, and conduit means extending from the lubricating chamber to both of said packings.

2. A stufiing box comprising an exterior threaded tube, a cup screwed onto the tube, a head mounted on the cup, a conduit depending from the head and extending into the tube, packing in the tube, said conduit engaging the packing, a second packing in the head, an adjustable means on the head engaging the second packing whereby the second packing is compressed.

3. A stuffing box comprising an exterior threaded tube, a cup screwed onto the tube, a head mounted on the cup, a conduit depending from the head and extending into the tube, packing in the tube, said conduit engaging the packing, a second packing in the head, an adjustable means on the head engaging the second packing whereby the second packing is compressed, said cup having a lubricating chamber therein, said conduit having ports therein extending into the lubricating chamber whereby said chamber is filled with oil from a polish rod extending thru the conduit, said ports also draining the oil back onto the polish rod when said rod is dry.

4. A stuffing box, comprising an exterior threaded tube, a cup screwed onto the tube, a head mounted on the cup, packing in the tube, means depending from the head and engaging the packing whereby said packing is compressed, a second packing in the head, means to compress said second packing, said cup having a 1ubricating chamber therein, conduit means extending from the lubricating chamber to both of said packings, wicking in said lubricating chamber, said conduit means having holes therein thru 20 which oil passes into the lubricating chamber and from which oil drains from the saturated wicking.

5. A stuiiing box comprising an exterior threaded tube, a cup screwed onto the tube, a

head mounted on the cup, a conduit depending 5 from the head and extending into the tube, packing in the tube, said conduit engaging the packing, a second packing in the head, an adjustable means on the head engaging the second packing whereby the second packing is compressed, said l cup having a lubricating chamber therein, said conduit having ports therein extending into the lubricating chamber whereby said chamber is filled with oil frcm a polish rod extending thru the conduit, said ports also draining the oil back l onto the polish rod when said rod is dry, wicking in the lubricating chamber, said wicking being saturated by the oil which passes into the lubricating chamber.

ELI L. FLEMING. 

